I am a cheapskate and am always looking for good cost effective alternatives, but I buy the worlds best saddles. There is nothing worse than a long day in an uncomfortable saddle.
Having said that, I have never paid more than $50 for a saddle because I have bought used saddles on Ebay for all 4 of my bikes. In fact, I have bought and sold about 10-12 different saddles (all the big names) before I found the best one for me. Most of the time I was able to try them for just a few dollars because I bought them used and sold them for the same price if they didn't work out. Virtually everyone of them arrived at my door in virtually new condition with very low mileage. Ebay is full of used saddles in great condition.
Don't try to save money by cutting corners on saddles. Stick with the tried and true saddles, buy the best ones they make and buy them used on Ebay for cheap.